Process for preparing substituted 5-amino-pyrazolo-[4,3-e]-1,2,4-triazolo[1,5-c]pyrimidines

ABSTRACT

A process for preparing substituted 5-amino-pyrazolo[4,3-e]-1,2,4-triazolo-[1,5-c]pyrimidine compounds having an aminoalkyl substituent at the 7-position is disclosed.

This application claims the benefit of priority of U.S. Ser. No.60/525,925, filed Dec. 1, 2003.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a process for preparing substituted5-amino-pyrazolo[4,3-e]-1,2,4-triazolo-[1,5-c]pyrimidine compoundshaving an aminoalkyl substituent at the 7-position.

BACKGROUND

Substituted 5-amino-pyrazolo[4,3-e]-1,2,4-triazolo-[1,5-c]pyrimidinecompounds disclosed in WO 01/92264 are useful as A_(2a) receptorantagonists in the treatment of central nervous system diseases, inparticular Parkinson's disease.

WO 01/92264 discloses processes for preparing5-amino-2-substituted-pyrazolo[4,3-e]-1,2,4-triazolo-[1,5-c]pyrimidinescomprising dehydrative rearrangement of hydrazines.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a process for preparing compounds offormula 7

or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt or solvate thereof, wherein

L is alkylene;

R is aryl, heteroaryl, R¹-aryl, R¹-heteroaryl or cycloalkenyl;

Y is —N(R²)CH₂CH₂N(R³)—, —OCH₂CH₂N(R²)—, —(CH₂)₂—NH—, or

and

Z is aryl, R⁵-aryl, aralkyl, R⁵-aralkyl, heteroaryl, R⁵-heteroaryl,(aryl)₂alkyl-, R⁶—C(O)—, C(O)—,

R⁶—SO₂—,

R⁵-aryl-CH(OH)—; or aryl-CH(OH)—; or when Q is

Z is also phenylamino or pyridylamino;or

Z and Y together are

R¹ is 1 to 3 substituents independently selected from the groupconsisting of hydrogen, alkyl, —CF₃, halogen, —NO₂, —NR¹²R¹³, alkoxy,alkylthio, alkylsulfinyl, and alkylsulfonyl;

R² and R³ are independently selected from the group consisting ofhydrogen and alkyl;

m and n are each independently 2 or 3;

Q is

R⁴ is 1 to 2 substituents independently selected from the groupconsisting of hydrogen and alkyl, or two R⁴ substituents on the samecarbon can form ═O;

R⁵ is 1 to 5 substituents independently selected from the groupconsisting of hydrogen, halogen, alkyl, hydroxy, alkoxy, —CN,dialkyl-amino, —CF₃, —OCF₃, acetyl, —NO₂, hydroxyalkoxy, alkoxyalkoxy,dialkoxy-alkoxy, alkoxy-alkoxy-alkoxy, carboxy-alkoxy,alkoxycarbonylalkoxy, cycloalkyl-alkoxy, dialkyl-amino-alkoxy,morpholinyl, alkyl-SO₂—, alkyl-SO₂-alkoxy, tetrahydropyranyloxy,alkylcarbonyl-alkoxy, alkoxycarbonyl, alkylcarbonyloxy-alkoxy, —SO₂NH₂,or phenoxy; or adjacent R⁵ substituents together are —O—CH₂—O—,—O—CH₂CH₂—O—, —O—CF₂—O— or —O—CF₂—O— and form a ring with the carbonatoms to which they are attached;

R⁶ is alkyl, aryl, R⁵-aryl, aralkyl, R⁵-aralkyl, heteroaryl,R⁵-heteroaryl, R⁵-cycloalkyl, cycloalkyl, alkyl-OC(O)—NH—(C₁–C₆)alkyl-,dialkyl-aminomethyl or

R⁹ is 1 to 2 substituents independently selected from the groupconsisting of hydrogen, alkyl, hydroxy, alkoxy, halogen, —CF₃ andalkoxy-alkoxy;

R¹⁰ is 1 to 5 substituents independently selected from the groupconsisting of hydrogen, halogen, alkyl, hydroxy, alkoxy, —CN, —NH₂,alkylamino, dialkylamino, —CF₃, —OCF₃ and —S(O)₀₋₂alkyl;

R¹² is hydrogen or alkyl;

and

R¹³ is alkyl-C(O)— or alkyl-SO₂—;

comprising

a) halogenating and formylating a compound of formula 6

to obtain a compound of formula 5

wherein X is halogen

(b) coupling the compound of formula 5 with a hydrazine of formula 4

in the presence of a base to form a compound of formula 3

(c) reacting the compound of formula 3 with a compound of formulaHO-L-NHNH₂ to form a compound of formula 2

(d) concurrently (1) cyclizing and (2) halogenating the compound offormula 2 by reacting the compound of formula 2 in the presence ofcatalytic amount of a metal halide or a catalytic amount of a halidesalt and a dehydrating agent to form a compound of formula 1

wherein A is halogen;and

(e) preparing the compound of formula 7 by coupling the compound offormula 1 with a compound of formula 8Z-Y—H  formula 8in the presence of a base.

In particular, the invention relates to the cyclizing and halogenationof a compound of formula 1, along with coupling the compound of formula1 with a compound of formula 8 to obtain a compound of formula 7.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

One aspect of the invention is a process to prepare compounds of formula7 wherein L is ethylene; R is R¹-furanyl, R¹-thienyl, R¹-pyridyl,R¹-pyridyl N-oxide, R¹-oxazolyl, R¹⁰-phenyl, R¹-pyrrolyl orcycloalkenyl; R¹ is hydrogen or halogen; Y is

wherein Q is

Z is R⁵-phenyl, R⁵-heteroaryl, R⁶—C(O)— or R⁶—SO₂—; and R⁶ is R⁵-phenyl.

Another aspect of the invention is a process to prepare compounds offormula 7 wherein R is R¹-furanyl; R¹ is hydrogen or halogen; Q is

m and n are each 2; R⁴ is hydrogen; Z is R⁵-phenyl; and R⁵ is onesubstituent selected from the group consisting of alkoxy andalkoxyalkoxy.

Another aspect of the invention is a process to prepare compounds offormula 7 wherein A is chlorine or bromine.

Another aspect of the invention is a process to prepare compounds offormula 7 wherein the compound of formula HO-L-NHNH₂ is2-hydroxyethylhydrazine.

Another aspect of the invention is a process to prepare compounds offormula 7 wherein the dehydrating agent is P₂O₅ or POCl₃, preferablyPOCl₃.

Another aspect of the invention is a process to prepare compounds offormula 7 the dehydrating agent is POCl₃ and the metal halide is ZnBr₂.

Another aspect of the invention is a process to prepare compounds offormula 7 wherein R is R¹-furanyl, R¹ is hydrogen, Z is R⁵-phenyl and R⁵is methoxyethoxy.

Another aspect of the invention is a process to prepare compounds offormula 7 wherein the dehydrating agent is P₂O₅ and the halide salt isNaCl.

Another aspect of the invention is a process to prepare compounds offormula 7A

or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt or solvate thereof, comprising

a) halogenating and formylating a compound of formula 6

to obtain a compound of formula 5A

(b) coupling the compound of formula 5A with a hydrazine of formula 4A

in the presence of a base to form a compound of formula 3A

(c) reacting the compound of formula 3A with 2-hydroxyethyl hydrazine toform a compound of formula 2A

(d) concurrently (1) cyclizing and (2) halogenating the compound offormula 2A by reacting the compound of formula 2A in the presence ofcatalytic amount of a metal halide or a catalytic amount of a halidesalt and a dehydrating agent to form a compound of formula 1A

wherein A is halogenand

(e) preparing the compound of formula 7A by coupling the compound offormula 1A with a compound of formula 8A

in the presence of a base. Preferably, in the process of forming acompound of formula 7A, the metal halide is ZnBr₂ and the dehydratingagent is POCl₃. Alternatively, the cyclization and halogentation offormula 2A takes place in the presence of NaCl and P₂O₅.

An additional aspect of the invention is a process to prepare compoundsof formula 1

wherein

L is alkylene;

R is aryl, heteroaryl, R¹-aryl, R¹-heteroaryl or cycloalkenyl;

R¹ is 1 to 3 substituents independently selected from the groupconsisting of hydrogen, alkyl, —CF₃, halogen, —NO₂, —NR¹²R¹³, alkoxy,alkylthio, alkylsulfinyl, and alkylsulfonyl;

and

R¹⁰ is 1 to 5 substituents independently selected from the groupconsisting of hydrogen, halogen, alkyl, hydroxy, alkoxy, —CN, —NH₂,alkylamino, dialkylamino, —CF₃, —OCF₃ and —S(O)₀₋₂alkyl;

comprising concurrently (1) cyclizing and (2) halogenating the compoundof formula 2

by reacting the compound of formula 2 in the presence of catalyticamount of a metal halide or a catalytic amount of a halide salt anddehydrating agent to form a compound of formula 1.

An additional aspect of the invention is a process to prepare compoundsof formula 1 wherein the dehydrating agent is a phosphorous oxyhalide;preferably either P₂O₅ or POCl₃.

In an additional aspect of the invention is a process to preparecompounds of formula 1 wherein the dehydrating agent is POCl₃ and themetal halide is zinc halide, preferably, ZnBr₂. Alternatively, anadditional aspect of the invention is a process to prepare compounds offormula 1 wherein the halide salt is NaCl and the dehydrating agent isP₂O₅.

The claimed process produces compounds of formula 7 which can have A2areceptor antagonistic activity, as well as those intermediate compoundsused to produce compounds of formula 7.

In step (a), the compound of formula 6 is converted into a compound offormula 5. Typically, said conversion takes place in the presence of aphosphorous oxyhalide such as POCl₃, a solvent such as DMF or DME and attemperature of about 95° C. to about 105° C., preferably about 100° C.In step (a) POCl₃ is a halogenating agent, however, it can be used as adehydrating agent as later demonstrated in step (d).

In step (b), the compound of formula 5 is coupled with a hydrazine offormula 4, to form a compound of formula 3. The reaction is carried outin a non-protic organic solvent such as CH₃CN, and an inorganic base ororganic base, at a temperature of about 1° C. to about 100° C., morepreferably at a temperature of about 20° C. to about 80° C., even morepreferably about 30° C. to about 50° C., most preferably at about 40° C.Examples of suitable inorganic bases are Na₂CO₃, NaHCO₃, KHCO₃, NaOH,KOH, K₃PO₄, K₂HPO₄, Na₃PO₄ and Na₂HPO₄. Examples of suitable organicbases include but are not limited to, triethylamine, DBU, pyridine andDIEA. Further, aprotic solvents such as THF and toluene, etc. could alsoreplace acetonitrile in this reaction.

About 1-2 equivalents, preferably about 1 equivalent, of a compound offormula 5 are used, and about 1-2, preferably about 1-1.1 equivalents ofthe hydrazine of formula 4. Preferably, about 1 equivalent of theinorganic base is used. Preferably, the activated compound of formula 3is not isolated before the reaction.

In step (c), the compound of formula 3 is reacted with a compound ofHO-L-NHNH₂, to form a compound of formula 2. Preferably, L is ethylene.The reaction is carried out in the presence of a non-protic organic baseand/or inorganic base (see above), at a temperature range of 30° C. toabout 12° C., preferably at about 50° C. to about 100° C., even morepreferably at about 70 to 90° C., most preferably at about 80° C. About2 equivalents of the hydroxy alkyl hydrazine are used.

In step (d), the compound of formula 2 is obtained by concurrently (1)cyclizing and (2) halogenating the compound of formula 2 by reacting thecompound of formula 2 in the presence of catalytic amount of a metalhalide and dehydrating agent or a catalytic amount of a halide salt anddehydrating agent to form a compound of formula 1, which may be, but arenot limited to, the following formulas:

While step (d) has been described as a concurrent halogenation andcyclization of the compound of formula 2, modifications, such as aseparate 2-step process where halogenation and cyclization occur asseparate steps, are intended to fall within the spirit and scope of thepresent invention.

The reaction is carried out in an organic solvent such as toluene at atemperature range of about 80° C. to about 120° C., more preferably 90°C. to about 110° C., most preferably 100° C. and then subsequentlycooled and quenched to a temperature of about 0° C.

Specific examples of metal halides include but are not limited to FeCl₃,AlCl₃, ZnCl₂, and ZnBr2. A combination of a phosphorous oxy compound anda metal salt (e.g. P₂O₅ and NaCl), also resulted in the desired product.

In step (e), the compound of formula 7 is formed by coupling thecompound of formula 1 with a compound of formula 8 in the presence of abase. Preferred examples of bases include but are not limited to amines,more preferably alkylamines, even more preferably trialkylamines, mostpreferably diisopropylethyl amide. The reaction is carried out with anaprotic organic solvent, (such as DMF, acetonitrile, toluene, THF,etc.), at temperature range of about 50 to about 120° C., preferably at65 to 100° C., more preferably at 75 to 85° C., most preferably at 80°C. The reaction mixture is cooled in an ice water bath to about 0° C.,and stirred (preferably for 2 hours). The resulting solid is filtered,washed (e.g. with a solution acetonitrile and water) and dried to yieldthe product, a compound of formula 7.

The present process provides an advantage over the procedures previouslyreported in the art. Known processes used highly toxic and corrosiveNH₂CN to form the six membered heteroaryl of the final product. Thepresently claimed process avoids this cyclization step altogether byusing a starting material (a compound of formula 6) that already has asix membered ring. The compound of formula 6 is further processed by theclaimed invention to yield the final product, compounds of formula 7.The present invention avoids the use of toxic cyanogen halides, which inturn, therefore, allows for large scale production and high yields usingmilder conditions.

As used herein, “alkyl” means an aliphatic hydrocarbon group, which maybe straight or branched and comprising about 1 to about 6 carbon atomsin the chain. Branched means that one or more lower alkyl groups such asmethyl, ethyl or propyl, are attached to a linear alkyl chain. Alkylene,referring to a divalent alkyl group, similarly refers to straight orbranched chains.

“Alkoxy” means an alkyl-O-group in which the alkyl group is aspreviously described, unless otherwise noted. Non-limiting examples ofsuitable alkoxy groups include methoxy, ethoxy, n-propoxy, isopropoxy,n-butoxy and heptoxy. The bond to the parent moiety is through the etheroxygen.

“Cycloalkyl” means a non-aromatic ring system comprising about 3 toabout 6 carbon atoms. Non-limiting examples of suitable monocycliccycloalkyls include cyclopropyl, cyclopentyl and cyclohexyl, and thelike. Cycloalkylene refers to a divalent cycloalkyl group. Cycloalkenylrefers to a C₄–C₆ cycloalkyl ring comprising one double bond. R¹ orR⁵-substituted cycloalkyl refers to such groups wherein substitutablering carbon atoms have a substituent as defined above.

“Heteroaryl” means a single ring, bicyclic or benzofused heteroaromaticgroup of 5 to 10 atoms comprised of 2 to 9 carbon atoms and 1 to 4heteroatoms independently selected from the group consisting of N, O andS, provided that the rings do not include adjacent oxygen and/or sulfuratoms. N-oxides of the ring nitrogens are also included. Examples ofsingle-ring heteroaryl groups are pyridyl, pyridyl N-oxide oxazolyl,isoxazolyl, oxadiazolyl, furanyl, pyrrolyl, thienyl, imidazolyl,pyrazolyl, tetrazolyl, thiazolyl, isothiazolyl, thiadiazolyl, pyrazinyl,pyrimidyl, pyridazinyl and triazolyl. Examples of bicyclic heteroarylgroups are naphthyridyl (e.g., 1, 5 or 1,7), imidazopyridyl,pyrido[2,3]imidazolyl, pyridopyrimidinyl and 7-azaindolyl. Examples ofbenzofused heteroaryl groups are indolyl, quinolyl, isoquinolyl,phthalazinyl, benzothienyl (i.e., thionaphthenyl), benzimidazolyl,benzofuranyl, benzoxazolyl and benzofurazanyl. All positional isomersare contemplated, e.g., 2-pyridyl, 3-pyridyl and 4-pyridyl. R¹ orR⁵-substituted heteroaryl refers to such groups wherein substitutablering carbon atoms have a substituent as defined above.

“Alkylthio” means an alkyl-S-group in which the alkyl group is aspreviously described. Non-limiting examples of suitable alkylthio groupsinclude methylthio, ethylthio, and i-propylthio. The bond to the parentmoiety is through the sulfur.

“Alkylsulfonyl” means an alkyl-S(O₂)—group. The bond to the parentmoiety is through the sulfonyl.

“Alkylsulfinyl” means an alkyl-S(O)—group. The bond to the parent moietyis through the sulfinyl.

“Carbonyl” means a —C(O)—moiety, e.g., alkoxycarbonyl refers to analkoxy-C(O)-group (i.e., alkyl-O—C(O)—).

“Acetyl” means —C(O)CH₃.

“Solvate” means a physical association of a compound of this inventionwith one or more solvent molecules. This physical association involvesvarying degrees of ionic and covalent bonding, including hydrogenbonding. In certain instances the solvate will be capable of isolation,for example when one or more solvent molecules are incorporated in thecrystal lattice of the crystalline solid. “Solvate” encompasses bothsolution-phase and isolatable solvates. Non-limiting examples ofsuitable solvates include ethanolates, methanolates, and the like.“Hydrate” is a solvate wherein the solvent molecule is H₂O.

Certain compounds of the invention may exist in different stereoisomericforms (e.g., enantiomers, diastereoisomers and atropisomers). Theinvention contemplates all such stereoisomers both in pure form and inmixture, including racemic mixtures.

Certain compounds will be acidic in nature, e.g. those compounds whichpossess a carboxyl or phenolic hydroxyl group. These compounds may formpharmaceutically acceptable salts. Examples of such salts may includesodium, potassium, calcium, aluminum, gold and silver salts. Alsocontemplated are salts formed with pharmaceutically acceptable aminessuch as ammonia, alkyl amines, hydroxyalkylamines, N-methylglucamine andthe like.

Certain basic compounds also form pharmaceutically acceptable salts,e.g., acid addition salts. For example, pyrido-nitrogen atoms may formsalts with strong acid, while compounds having basic substituents suchas amino groups also form salts with weaker acids. Examples of suitableacids for salt formation are hydrochloric, sulfuric, phosphoric, acetic,citric, oxalic, malonic, salicylic, malic, fumaric, succinic, ascorbic,maleic, methanesulfonic and other mineral and carboxylic acids wellknown to those skilled in the art. The salts are prepared by contactingthe free base form with a sufficient amount of the desired acid toproduce a salt in the conventional manner. The free base forms may beregenerated by treating the salt with a suitable dilute aqueous basesolution such as dilute aqueous NaOH, potassium carbonate, ammonia andsodium bicarbonate. The free base forms differ from their respectivesalt forms somewhat in certain physical properties, such as solubilityin polar solvents, but the acid and base salts are otherwise equivalentto their respective free base forms for purposes of the invention.

All such acid and base salts are intended to be pharmaceuticallyacceptable salts within the scope of the invention and all acid and basesalts are considered equivalent to the free forms of the correspondingcompounds for purposes of the invention.

Following are descriptions of the preparation of compounds of formula 7using the claimed process.

The following abbreviations are used in the specification and claims: Ms(methylsulfonyl); Me (methyl); et or Et (ethyl); THF (tetrahydrofuran);LOD (loss on drying); diisopropylethyl amine (DIEA); DMF(dimethylformide); DBU (1, 8 diazabicyclo[5.4.0]undec-7-ene); (DME)1,2-dimethoxyethane; and DMSO (dimethyl sulfoxide).

General Scheme

The below scheme outlines the claimed process starting material, acompound of formula 6, until the final step where a compound of formula1 is coupled with a couple of formula to produce the final product, acompound of formula 7.

1. Formation of Compound for formula 5:Initially, a compound of formula 6 was reacted with POCl₃ in DMF andheat to form a compound of formula 5.

The compound of formula 5 subsequently treated, (details below) topractice the process of the claimed invention. As seen below, a compoundof formula 5, wherein X is chloride, is subsequently reacted to form anintermediate compound of formula II.2. Procedures for preparation of compound II

Compound V (1.0 g, 1.0 eq.), 2-furoic hydrazide (0.7 g, 1.1 eq.) andsodium carbonate (0.55 g, 1.0 eq.) were added acetonitrile (20 mL) andwas heated to 40° C. After stirring at 40° C. for 30 hours, the reactionwas subsequently heated to 60° C. A solution of 2-hydroxyethyl hydrazine(0.7 mL, 2 eq.) in water (5mL) was added. The reaction mixture was thenheated to 80° C. and stirred for 2.5 hours. Once the reaction wascompleted, the reaction mixture was cooled down to 25° C., and 0.1 N HCl(10 mL) was added. The reaction mixture was stirred at 25° C. for 2hours. The reaction mixture was then concentrated to about 10 mL underreduced pressure. Water (30 mL) was added and the reaction mixture wasconcentrated to about 10 mL under reduced pressure. The reaction mixturewas stirred at 25° C. for overnight. The solid was filtered and washedwith 2 mL water, then with 2 mL acetonitrile. The product (compound I)was dried under vacuum at 25° C. to yield 1.1 g (70%) of the desiredproduct. LC/MS: m/z=304 (M+1) ¹H NMR (DMSO-d₆): δ 10.65 (d, 1H); 9.52(d, 1H); 7.98–7.88 (m,1 H); 7.42–7.29 (m, 1 H); 6.73–6.70 (m,1 H); 6.35(s, 2H); 4.1 (m, 2H); 3.62 (m, 2H)3. Procedures for preparation of compound I.

A mixture of Intermediate compound II (500 mg, 1.0 eq.), Zinc Bromide(100 mg) and POCl₃ (5 ml) was heated to 100° C. and stirred for 6 hours.After the reaction completion, the reaction mixture was then cooled downto 0° C., and ice cold water (15 ml) was slowly added to quench thereaction. The resulting solid was filtered, washed with water and driedto give 420 mg of the product, compound I (as a bromide and chloridemixture).Mass spectrum: M+1=304 (X═Cl); M+1=348 (X═Br). ¹HNMR (DMSO): 8.37 (s,1H), 8.26 (bs, 2H), 7.95 (m, 1H), 7.24 (m, 1H), 6.74 (m, 1H), 4.60 (m,2H), 4.05 (m, 2H), 3.48 (m, 4H)4. Procedures for preparation of compound VII:

A mixture of compound 1, (900 mg, 1.0 eq.), compound VIII ( (1.2 g, 2.0eq) and diisopropylethyl amine (DIEA) (1.5 ml, 4.5 eq.) indimethylformide (DMF) (7.2 ml) was heated to 80° C. and stirred for 10hours. After the reaction completion, the reaction mixture was thencooled down in an ice-water bath to 0° C., and stirred for 2 hours. Theresulting solid was filtered, washed with acetonitrile, water and driedto give 870 mg of the product, compound VII. Mass spectrum: M+1=504;¹HNMR (DMSO): 8.37 (s, 1H), 8.13 (bs, 2H), 7.95 (m, 1H), 7.18 (m, 1H),6.78 (m, 4H), 6.70 (m, 1H), 4.38 (m, 2H), 4.93(m, 2H), 3.56 (m, 2H),3.37 (s, 3H), 2.90 (m, 4H), 2.80 (m, 2H), 2.55 (m, 4H), 2.45 (m, 2H).

While the present invention has been described in conjunction with thespecific embodiments set forth above, many alternatives, modificationsand variations thereof will be apparent to those of ordinary skill inthe art. All such alternatives, modifications and variations areintended to fall within the spirit and scope of the present invention.

1. A process for preparing compounds of formula 7

or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof, wherein; L is alkylene; Ris aryl, heteroaryl, R¹-aryl, R¹-heteroaryl or cycloalkenyl; Y is—N(R²)CH₂CH₂N(R³)—, —OCH₂CH₂N(R²)—, —(CH₂)₂—NH—, or

and Z is aryl, R⁵-aryl, aralkyl, R⁵-aralkyl, heteroaryl, R⁵-heteroaryl,(aryl)₂alkyl-, R⁶—C(O)—, R⁶—SO₂—,

R⁵-aryl-CH(OH)— or aryl-CH(OH)—; or when Q is

Z is also phenylamino or pyridylamino; or Z and Y together are

R¹ is 1 to 3 substituents independently selected from the groupconsisting of hydrogen, alkyl, —CF₃, halogen, —NO₂, —NR¹²R¹³, alkoxy,alkylthio, alkylsulfinyl, and alkylsulfonyl; R² and R³ are independentlyselected from the group consisting of hydrogen and alkyl; m and n areeach independently 2 or 3; Q is

R⁴ is 1 to 2 substituents independently selected from the groupconsisting of hydrogen and alkyl, or two R⁴ substituents on the samecarbon can form ═O; R⁵ is 1 to 5 substituents independently selectedfrom the group consisting of hydrogen, halogen, alkyl, hydroxy, alkoxy,—CN, dialkyl-amino, —CF₃, —OCF₃, acetyl, —NO₂, hydroxyalkoxy,alkoxyalkoxy, dialkoxy-alkoxy, alkoxy-alkoxy-alkoxy, carboxy-alkoxy,alkoxycarbonylalkoxy, cycloalkyl-alkoxy, dialkyl-amino-alkoxy,morpholinyl, alkyl-SO₂—, alkyl-SO₂-alkoxy, tetrahydropyranyloxy,alkylcarbonyl-alkoxy, alkoxycarbonyl, alkylcarbonyloxy-alkoxy, —SO₂NH₂,or phenoxy; or adjacent R⁵ substituents together are —O—CH₂—O—,—O—CH₂CH₂—O—, —O—CF₂—O— or —O—CF₂CF₂—O— and form a ring with the carbonatoms to which they are attached; R⁶ is alkyl, aryl, R⁵-aryl, aralkyl,R⁵-aralkyl, heteroaryl, R⁵-heteroaryl, R⁵-cycloalkyl, cycloalkyl,alkyl-OC(O)—NH—(C₁–C₆)alkyl-, dialkyl-aminomethyl or

R⁹ is 1 to 2 substituents independently selected from the groupconsisting of hydrogen, alkyl, hydroxy, alkoxy, halogen, —CF₃ andalkoxy-alkoxy; R¹⁰ is 1 to 5 substituents independently selected fromthe group consisting of hydrogen, halogen, alkyl, hydroxy, alkoxy, —CN,—NH₂, alkylamino, dialkylamino, —CF₃, —OCF₃ and —S(O)₀₋₂alkyl; R¹² ishydrogen or alkyl; and R¹³ is alkyl-C(O)— or alkyl-SO₂—; comprising a)halogenating and formylating a compound of formula 6

to obtain a compound of formula 5

wherein X is halogen (b) coupling the compound of formula 5 with ahydrazine of formula 4

in the presence of a base to form a compound of formula 3

(c) reacting the compound of formula 3 with a compound of formulaHO-L-NHNH₂ to form a compound of formula 2

(d) concurrently (1) cyclizing and (2) halogenating the compound offormula 2 by reacting the compound of formula 2 in the presence ofcatalytic amount of a metal halide or a catalytic amount of a halidesalt and a dehydrating agent to form a compound of formula 1

wherein A is halogen; and (e) preparing the compound of formula 7 bycoupling the compound of formula 1 with a compound of formula 8Z-Y—H  formula 8 in the presence of a base.
 2. The process of claim 1for preparing compounds of formula 7 wherein: L is ethylene; R isR¹-furanyl, R¹-thienyl, R¹-pyridyl, R¹-pyridyl N-oxide, R¹-oxazolyl,R¹⁰-phenyl, R¹-pyrrolyl or cycloalkenyl; R¹ is hydrogen or halogen; Y is

wherein Q is

Z is R⁵-phenyl, R⁵-heteroaryl, R⁶—C(O)— or R⁶—SO₂—; and R⁶ is R⁵-phenyl.3. The process of claim 2 wherein R is R¹-furanyl; R¹ is hydrogen orhalogen; Q is

m and n are each 2; R⁴ is hydrogen; Z is R⁵-phenyl; and R⁵ is onesubstituent selected from the group consisting of alkoxy andalkoxyalkoxy.
 4. The process of claim 1 wherein A is chlorine orbromine.
 5. The process of claim 1 wherein X of the compound of formula5 is Cl.
 6. The process of claim 1 wherein the base of step (b) Na₂CO₃,NaHCO₃, KHCO₃, NaOH, KOH, K₃PO₄, K₂HPO₄, Na₃PO₄ and Na₂HPO₄.
 7. Theprocess of claim 1 wherein the base of step (b) is Na₂CO₃.
 8. Theprocess of claim 1 wherein the base of step (e) is a trialkylamine. 9.The process of claim 1 wherein the base of step (e) is diisopropylethylamide.
 10. The process of claim 1 wherein the compound of formulaHO-L-NHNH₂ is 2-hydroxyethylhydrazine.
 11. The process of claim 1wherein the dehydrating agent of step (d) is P₂O₅ or POCl₃.
 12. Theprocess of claim 11 wherein the dehydrating agent of step (d) is POCl₃and the metal halide is ZnBr₂.
 13. The process of claim 1 wherein R isR¹-furanyl, R¹ is hydrogen, Z is R⁵-phenyl and R⁵ is methoxyethoxy. 14.The process of claim 1 wherein the dehydrating agent of step (d) isP₂O₅.
 15. The process of claim 14 wherein the halide salt of step (d) isNaCl.
 16. The process of claim 1 for preparing a compound of formula 7A

or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof, comprising a)halogenating and formylating a compound of formula 6

to obtain a compound of formula 5A

(b) coupling the compound of formula 5A with a hydrazine of formula 4A

in the presence of a base to form a compound of formula 3A

(c) reacting the compound of formula 3A with 2-hydroxyethyl hydrazine toform a compound of formula 2A

(d) concurrently (1) cyclizing and (2) halogenating the compound offormula 2A by reacting the compound of formula 2A in the presence ofcatalytic amount of a metal halide or a catalytic amount of a halidesalt and a dehydrating agent to form a compound of formula 1A

wherein A is halogen and (e) preparing the compound of formula 7A bycoupling the compound of formula 1A with a compound of formula 8A

in the presence of a base.
 17. The process of claim 16 wherein the metalhalide is ZnBr₂ and the dehydrating agent is POCl₃.
 18. The process ofclaim 16 wherein the halide salt is NaCl and the dehydrating agent isP₂O₅.
 19. A process for preparing compounds of formula 1

wherein L is alkylene; R is aryl, heteroaryl, R¹-aryl, R¹-heteroaryl orcycloalkenyl; R¹ is 1 to 3 substituents independently selected from thegroup consisting of hydrogen, alkyl, —CF₃, halogen, —NO₂, —NR¹²R¹³,alkoxy, alkylthio, alkylsulfinyl, and alkylsulfonyl; and R¹⁰ is 1 to 5substituents independently selected from the group consisting ofhydrogen, halogen, alkyl, hydroxy, alkoxy, —CN, —NH₂, alkylamino,dialkylamino, —CF₃, —OCF₃ and —S(O)₀₋₂alkyl; comprising concurrently (1)cyclizing and (2) halogenating the compound of formula 2

by reacting the compound of formula 2 in the presence of catalyticamount of a metal halide or a catalytic amount of a halide salt anddehydrating agent to form a compound of formula
 1. 20. The process ofclaim 19 wherein the dehydrating agent is a phosphorous oxyhalide. 21.The process of claim 20 wherein dehydrating agent is P₂O₅ or POCl₃. 22.The process of claim 21 wherein the dehydrating agent is POCl₃.
 23. Theprocess of claim 19 wherein the metal halide is zinc halide.
 24. Theprocess of claim 23 wherein the metal halide is ZnBr₂.
 25. The processof claim 24 wherein the metal halide is ZnBr₂ and the dehydrating agentis POCl₃.
 26. The process of claim 19 wherein the halide salt is NaCland the dehydrating agent is P₂O₅.